Lone Hobbit
by Baruk Khazad
Summary: After Bilbo is thrown out by Thorin (Chapter 17 from the book) he decides it is time to get rid of the ring. Not telling anyone where he was going and only leaving a note. A note with a confession to Thorin, saying that he has always loved him. Do to this confession, Thorin is able to come out of his gold sickness, but he has to live with the things he lost. For now, that is.
1. Chapter 1

"You! You!" cried Thorin, turning upon him and grasping him with both hands. "You miserable hobbit! You undersized-burglar!" he shouted at a loss for words, and he shook poor Bilbo like a rabbit.

"By the beard of Durin! I wish I had Gandalf here! Curse him for his choice of you! May his beard wither! As for you I will throw you to the rocks!" he cried and lifted Bilbo in his arms.

"Stay! Your wish is granted!" said a voice. The old man with the casket threw aside his hood and cloak. "Here is Gandalf! And none too soon it seems. If you don't like my Burglar, please don't damage him. Put him down, and listen first to what he has to say!"

"You all seem in league!" said Thorin dropping Bilbo on the top of the wall. "Never again will I have dealings with any wizard or his friends. What have you to say, you descendant of rats?"

"Dear me! Dear me!" said Bilbo. "I am sure this is all very uncomfortable. You may remember saying that I might choose my own fourteenth share? Perhaps I took it too literally -I have been told that dwarves are sometimes politer in word than in deed. The time was, all the same, when you seemed to think that I had been of some service. Descendant of rats, indeed! Is this ail the service of you and your family that I was promised. Thorin?

Take it that I have disposed of my share as I wished, and let it go at that!"

"I will," said Thorin grimly. "And I will let you go at that-and may we never meet again!" Then he turned and spoke over the wall. "I am betrayed," he said. "It was rightly guessed that I could not forbear to redeem the Arkenstone, the treasure of my house. For it I will give one fourteenth share of the hoard in silver and gold, setting aside the gems; but that shall be accounted the promised share of this traitor, and with that reward he shall depart, and you can divide it as you will. He will get little enough, I doubt not. Take him, if you wish him to live; and no friendship of mine goes with him.

"Get down now to your friends!" he said to Bilbo, "or I will throw you down."

"What about the gold and silver?" asked Bilbo.

"That shall follow after, as can be arranged," said he.

"Get down!"

"Until then we keep the stone," cried Bard.

"You are not making a very splendid figure as King under the Mountain," said Gandalf. "But things may change yet."

"They may indeed," said Thorin. And already, so strong was the bewilderment of the treasure upon him, he was pondering whether by the help of Dain he might not recapture the Arkenstone and withhold the share of the reward.

And so Bilbo was swung down from the wall, and departed with nothing for all his trouble, except the armour which Thorin had given him already. More than one of the dwarves 'in their hearts felt shame and pity at his going. "Farewell!" he cried to them. "We may meet again as friends."

Bilbo paced back and forth, distraught. Thorin had thrown him out. His King, his dwarf, the only person he'd ever loved. e sighed and placed a hand in his pocket, feeling something familiar.

"Oh blast it!" Bilbo growled and pulled out the golden ring out of his pocket. He had tried burning it once before, not that it helped any. After the fire had died the ring had still been there, cool as ever, but with ancient elvish inscripted on it. He had heard stories about it, this ring, but hadn't believed them to be true. Actually seeing it and holding it in his hands, he felt horrified by the thought that he had been in possession of such an awful thing. He also felt ashamed that he could tell no one about this object for so long. He decided that he would not tell anyone about the ring, but he would destroy it himself.

He moved himself from his tent and to the stables. He was looking over all the horses to see with one he could ride.

"This one will be the best. It's just your size and she's in her prime," Bilbo jumped as Bard appeared behind him. "I won't ask where you're going, nor will I ask why. Just take care of yourself." Bard passed the reins to Bilbo before he left. Bilbo watched him go, grateful that he had been understanding enough not to question Bilbo.

"Come," he pulled the horse along, back to his tent. He left the horse there and went into the small house, taking out a quill and paper to leave a note.

"Dear Gandalf,

"I know you will be very angry at me because of my choices, but this is something I have to do. If you have not already known, I found something in the cave with the goblins. I told you and the dwarves that I had found my courage, this was not the case. I have found something so terrible that I have taken it upon myself to destroy the dreaded thing.

"If you have not figured it out yet, it is the Ring of Sauron. I am terribly sorry for not telling you earlier, but for some reason I do not know, I could not tell you.

"If I do not return, by some unknown chance, then I would ask for you to tell my dwarves something.

"To Kili, trust in your heart and you will find the one to truly make you happy. To Fili, don't do anything too crazy to your brother, he will understand everything soon enough. Ori, don't be scared by Dwalin, he may look like a bear, but he's a cuddly toy on the inside. Nori, don't string Bofur along forever, he is very fond of you. Dori, take care of the two for me, I couldn't stand it if anything happened to them.

"Bifur, though I could barely understand you, you have taught me so much, thank you. Bofur, I know you fear what Nori may say if he finds out that he is your One, but I'm sure he already knows. Bombur, I'm sorry that I may not be able to meet your wife and child, wish them the best for me.

"Oin, you def dwarf, thank you for all you help with my aches and pains, I'm not getting any younger you know. Gloin, I hope you son will become a great warrior one day, I know he'll take after his father. Bailn, thank you for your wisdom and knowledge throughout our journey. Dwalin, don't fear what you may do to Ori, I know, for a fact, that you could never hurt him, even if you tried.

"Thorin, I'm not sure if you'll ever get over your gold sickness or if you'll ever forgive me, but I believe you should know. I am irreversibly, disbelievingly, crazily in love with you. I know you may never feel the same, I know that you may hate me for writing this, but I must tell you before I go off to my inevitable death.

"To the Elves of the Woodland Realm, i know you wish to have the Arkenstone, but it will only cause you harm. Just like the way Erebor fell, the Elves will contract a sickness and fall in to temptation.

"To Bard, thank you. For everything. If I could take anyone with me, just to help me keep moving, it would be you. Tell your children stories of the brave Hobbit that once crossed your lands, I'm sure they'll love that story.

"Goodbye My friends,

"Bilbo."

Bilbo placed the noted under a paper weight, knowing that someone would find it. He then exited his tent, going back to his horse. "Come, we must be leaving now. Before anyone spots us," the horse whinnied and trotted on.

A week later, Gandalf found the note. He had disappeared, the same night Bilbo had, but for a different reason. He had to read and reread the noted before it actually set in that Bilbo wasn't there anymore. There was only one place he could go, one place that the ring could be destroyed, Mount Doom. Sadly, he could not go after Bilbo, Thorin had started a war. And he may be the only one to keep the stubborn dwarf alive.

"Thorin! You stubborn, no good, gold sick dwarf!" Gandalf billowed storming into Erebor's throne room. Fili and Kili, who were on both sides of the throne with their backs to Gandalf, jumped and turned around. "Do you know what you are causing?! There is a war going on down there, a war started by your greediness!"

"Be gone with you wizard!" Thorin shouted back, he didn't want to hear what he had done, the people he had hurt, the things he had started, none of it.

"No, you will sit down and you will listen to what I have to say!" Darkness started surrounding him, just like it had done in Bilbo's home. "There is an army down there waiting to fight for your damn Arkenstone, there is also a Hobbit that you have hurt." The darkness slowly disappeared. "He left to Mount Doom, I believed it was only honorable to tell you this because he left you in his note." Gandalf turned and, by chance or some other fate or even by Gandalf himself, Bilbo's note fell out of his pocket and to the floor as Gandalf left.

Fili tentatively reached out to grab it, lifting it up and reading it, glancing over at Kili and Thorin as he read the letter. He gasped at the last part, confused by what he was reading. "Thorin," Fili started, "I believe you need to read this," he handed Thorin the peace of paper. He said nothing as he read, just like he had said nothing for the days after Bilbo had left.

"He what?!" Thorin stood, making his crown fall back onto the throne. "If he had- why didn't he- curse that Hobbit!" Thorin pulled his cloak off and threw it down. "Fili! Kili! Call the rest of the Company. We have a Hobbit to find."

"Thorin that is crazy!" Balin cried, shaking his head. "I know you've been having feelings for Bilbo, but you cannot just give up everything and go after him. We don't even know where he is, we know where he's going, but not which root he went. It is too dangerous to go after him," Balin placed his hand on Thorin's slumped shoulder. He knew what his King was going through and he wanted to help him, but he knew it was too dangerous.

"There must be something I can do, Balin, there must be something." Thorin looked to his oldest friend, not knowing what he could possible do to help.

"There is nothing you can do. You wait and pray, from everything we have experienced I'm sure he can take care of himself. We will wait for word from Gandalf if- when Bilbo returns. When Bilbo returns, whether it be to the Shire or Erebor itself, we have to be ready to welcome him back. You must be ready to welcome him back," Thorin sighed and nodded.

"This is my fault, isn't it Balin? If I had just been… nicer to the Hobb- Bilbo then maybe he wouldn't have-"

"Come now Uncle," Fili said, giving his Uncle a sorrowful look. "You read the note, same as I, you know he would have done this sooner or later. He knows the power this ring holds and he wants to stop it from falling into the wrong hands."

"I know, Fili, I know. I just hope he returns safely." Thorin sighed. You better come back, little Hobbit, I will be waiting for you.


	2. Chapter 2

"One… Two… Three… One… Two… Three," Bilbo whispered counting every three steps it took to get to… Where ever he was going. He was letting instinct lead him. He mentally rolled his eyes at that. "It's not instinct, it's this damn ring." He whispered harshly. He hated this. Every step he took felt like walking to his death. Not that that hadn't happened before, but this time he didn't have Thorin there to protect him.

Thorin, Bilbo wondered what had happened to that stubborn dwarf. He could have gotten himself and his company killed if he went to war. And all over a stone! A fist sized shiny stone! It was stupid in his opinion. Why fight over such a silly thing? Wasn't gold and silver the whole problem? Wasn't that the thing that had drawn the dragon in the first place? Why couldn't they be more like Hobbits? Loving food and a good ale instead of axes and swords?

"Stubborn, unruly, sneaky dwarves…," Bilbo smiled, "But they're my stubborn, unruly, sneaky dwarves." It had been a good eight or so months since Bilbo had last seen them and he missed them dearly. They had probably moved on though. Thorin, if not dead, was probably getting married or expecting his first child. Fili and Kili would be training to become proper princes, lord knows they needed some manners, and who knew what the others were doing.

A loud crack broke Bilbo from his thoughts. He looked to his surroundings. The sky was painted with ash and smoke. Screams echoed all around him, some in pain and some in victory. All the green that should have been covering the ground, was nothing more than trampled blades of grass that were a sickly brown color. The shrubs and trees that were there were bare and black. In the distance, Bilbo could see the silhouette of a mountain, and a large pointy tower. He had heard of this place, Mount Doom, where the dead walk and shadows rome.

This place seemed familiar, but couldn't quite be placed. Though, Bilbo knew one thing. The ring had brought him here for some purpose or another. He also knew that this was the one place the ring could be destroyed. Bilbo silently thanked his great, great, grandfather for knowing stories of the one ring and Mount Doom.

"I've made it this far, guess I better keep going…," Bilbo whispered and kept moving forward. The faster he got this over with, the faster he could see Thro- his Hobbit Hole again.

~~~Thorin~~~

"I am sorry," Balin said sadly, "but if he went the way we think he did… He probably didn't make it. Gandalf and the others still have not found him. We have to assume the worst. Bilbo Baggins, our burglar, has passed on. May he rest in peace." Balin hung his head sorrowfully.

Thorin, dressed in his usual royal blue and silver, shook his head. "No, I won't believe it. Bilbo cannot be dead. He is much too clever and resourceful to die out there, all alone. He must be farther away than we anticipated. We must keep looking." Thorin's voice dropped, "I cannot lose him… We can't give up."

Balin placed a hand on Thorin's shoulder, knowing what the young king was going through. He had lost his mother, father, grandfather, and brother and came out with a stone face, but he could not lose his love. "Alright, we'll send the men farther out. But only for a few more months. We have a mountain to rebuild too, Bilbo will want to see the mountain returned to it's former glory when he gets back." Thorin perked back up at that.

"Yes he will. He always asked about the halls and the people. We have to get this place in top shape for his return." Thorin said, already making plans. Balin nodded and continued on. If this was a way of keeping their king functioning, it would have to work. For now atleast.

Balin went to the carrier room where all the birds were stored. He needed to talk to Ori, who was working there while Bilbo and Dwalin were gone. He wanted to be the first to know if any news of Bilbo would come in. As of yet, there was nothing.

"Hello Ori, any news?" Ori looked up rubbing his eyes.

"Various actions of trade, marriage arrangements, people who give their blessing to the King Under the Mountain, and a letter from Dis saying she'll kill Thorin when she gets here. Looks like she heard about what happened with Bilbo." Balin nodded.

"Ah, I see. I'll pray for his safe recovery than. Also tell the company that they will be able to move farther out in search of the Hobbit." Ori looked up confused. "Thorin want's to keep searching. We'll give him a few more months. If Bilbo is dead, we should let Thorin grieve in his own way."

"Yes, I do feel bad for him. Finding out Bilbo loved him, only to lose him. I don't know what Dwalin and I would do if that happened to us. We won't have to find out thankfully." Ori turned pink while writing the orders out. "Bilbo was able to settle everything for us. I hope he comes back so I can thank him properly. Maybe knit him some gloves or something?"

"I think we all have something to thank Bilbo for. Who know what would have happened if we had gone to war with the Elves and the Humans. It would have been bloodshed. It was a good thing that Bard gave us that note. Too bad it wasn't good timing for the orcs." Balin and Ori laughed. Thinking back to the surprised faces of Azog and his followers when the came face to face with three armies.

"And when the birds came! We were all stunned! Even Beorin showed up! I'm just glad we all got out alive… It was too close for Fili and Kili. If those arrows had his any lower…"

"Yes lad, I know, but we can't dwell on the past. Fili and Kili are still with us and that's all that matters." Balin stopped him from saying anymore.

Ori nodded and moved to the birds, taking one of the fasting flyers and tying the note on it's leg. "Have a safe journey and fly quick," and tossed the bird into the wind. "Please come back with news of Bilbo. We all need it."

~~~Company~~~

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Bofur called. It had been months and even he couldn't keep his hopes up much longer. Fili and Kili were the only things keeping his spirits up.

"Yes I'm sure!" Fili yelled back. He had taken it upon himself to lead the group. He had the heart of a lion and the mind of a king. Everyone knew that when he became King, he would be a good one.

"Seems like all were getting to is the waste lands," Dwalin grumbled. "Look at the sky and the ground. All there is is ash and soot. Nothing living could survive long in these parts. And even if they did, they wouldn't be recognizable."

"You have to have hope Master Dwalin!" Kili called back. "If we don't have hope, how can Bilbo count on us? Have some faith! I bet Ori does." Kili smiled as Dwalin grumbled under his breath.

"I ain't sayin' he's not alive. I'm just sayin' how do we know he came this way?"

"Because he's Bilbo. Even if he's a burglar, he does things the hard way. This is also the way he was going when he left. Bard said something about him going to some mountain or something. Besides Erebor, there are a lot of mountains this way." Nori pointed out.

"He has a point," Dori said.

"Well then lets keep going," Fili said leading the group on further.

"Maybe we should stop for the night? It's getting dark." Dori called up.

"What if we find something?" Kili asked concerned, "We can't just stop now!"

"Were not going to be any help to anyone in the dark. If we find something it'll be too dark to see anything. Come on Kili, you need rest just like the rest of us." Bofur said sympathetically. He knew that Fili and Kili considered Bilbo family, even more so now that Thorin showed his interest in the Hobbit.

"Alright," Kili agreed reluctantly. He hated stopping. Bilbo was out there and every time they stopped Bilbo got a little farther away from them.

"Good, come on, lets get settled under that tree. Gives us some cover atleast." Fili dropped off his horse and walked to the only coverage in the area. A small sickly looking tree with little to no green on it. The others followed silently.

They collected dried grass and broken off branches to make a fire and eat some of the last rations they had. Everything was running out, so they had to be careful with it. Eat less, drink less, and keep their hopes up.

"I remember one time," Bofur started, "at Beorin's house. Bilbo was petting the rabbits he kept around, so Beorin called him a 'Little Bunny.'" Everyone laughed, remembering when that happened. It had become tradition that every night they told stories of Bilbo and his going ons.

"Do you think we'll find him?" Kili asked quietly, making everyone look at him. His eye got misty. "What if we never find him? What will we do then? I don't want to imagine a world without Bilbo in it." Tears flowed freely down his face.

"Kili, no, I'm sure will find him. Remember? You said how can we find him without hope? You have to always think about seeing him tomorrow, his smiling face and his cooking. Remember the good things Kili, not the what ifs." Fili comforted his brother.

~~~Bilbo~~~

Most of the journey was blurr. He remembered, at some point, putting the ring on to escape from something hunting him and the next thing he knew, the ring was falling into a pit of lava. Which, on the other hand, spewed back up at him.

After that was running. Running from the lava. Running from something chasing him. Running from the voices screaming behind him. He just wanted to go home, but home was with Thorin and Thorin threw him out. He had no home. So he kept going. Running to somewhere.

~~~Kili~~~

Kili was on watch when, suddenly, the ground shook and a large red ball could be seen in the distance.

"Guys. Guys! Wake up!" He cried, shaking them awake. One by one they woke and stared at the large red mass. Kili turned back to them. "That's him! That's Bilbo! I know it!" The others could say nothing, but nodded in agreement.

"Lets go! Come on!" Kili started pulling the others up. "We need to see if Bilbo's hurt!" At that, the others jumped into action, getting their clothes back on and saddling up the ponies. Within 10 minutes they were gone with nothing left behind.

"Looks like we found him!" Fili called.

"Never doubted him for a minute!" Bofur called back.

"Let's hope he's in one piece when we get to him." Dwalin reminded. "Thorin'll blame us if he's not back in one piece."

"At least we found him!" Nori supplied. "That has to count for something."

"What's that?" Fili pointed to something moving slowly. The light of the sun just making out the figure of a small human.

"Do you think…?" Kili asked in a soft, non believing, tone. There was no way. Bilbo was so close. Everyone jumped off their ponies, rushing towards the human shaped figure. When they were close enough, the could see Bilbo's mop of hair.

"Bilbo!" Everyone cried, tears rushing down their faces. Bilbo jerked back, not realizing people had come up in front of him. He stopped when he saw their faces.

"Fili? Kili? Bofur? Nori? Dori? What are you doing here?" He asked, swaying slightly. He didn't have enough strength to hold himself up. Before anyone could move, Bilbo collapsed. Hitting the ground with a thud.

**_Sorry about the wait... there's been a death in the family so writing is hard for me. I'll try to make more chapters though._**


	3. Chapter 3

Bilbo woke, but didn't open his eyes. The last thing he remembered was seeing mysterious shadows standing in front of him. They had called to him. Bilbo was sure that it had been his family coming to collect him. His mother telling him that he had been good and that he could rest now, but the feeling of something soft and warm under him made him rethink it. Maybe he wasn't dead.

Without opening his eyes, Bilbo could tell that he was in a room. A real room. In a bed that was soft and comfy. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept on something like this. It must have been almost two years by now. Since he last left him home in the Shire.

As his sense slowly filtered in, Bilbo could hear someone humming softly next to him. Bilbo had heard that voice before. It sounded so familiar.

"Do you think he'll wake today? It's been a long time." A voice to his left asked.

"When his body is ready, he'll wake. That's just how it is. If you stare at him anymore he may burst into flames." The voice to his right taunted.

"That's not funny Bofur!" The other wined.

"Then stop staring Kili," Bofur retorted. Kili made another wine sound before going silent.

"What have I told you about fighting?" Bilbo asked, his voice was hoarse and cracked as he spoke. He opened his eyes just in time to see everyone around him. Fili, Kili, and Bofur were on his right and on his left were Nori, Dori, and Dwalin.

"Mister Boggins!" Kili cried happily. "You're awake! Its been forever!"

"Its only been three days," Dwalin rolled his eyes. "But it has been a while since we last saw you. Took us near a year to find you. Thorin will be happy when he hears the news of you waking."

"Damn." Fili cursed. "I forgot to inform him of Bilbo's recovery."

"So, he doesn't even know we have Bilbo with us? He must be going out of his mind!" Dori chided, "Go write him at letter and send it now!" Fili quickly exited the room. "That boy is going to be the death of us."

"So how are you feeling? You've been out a while. You're also thinner then we last left you." Nori joked.

"Much better actually. Where's everyone else? Where's Thorin?" Bilbo spoke the last part softly. Kili gently took Bilbo's hand.

"He wanted to come with us, but he had to take care of the mountain. He sent his most trusted people to find you though. Fili doesn't know how to run a Kingdom yet, so Thorin had to stay behind." Kili smiled and moved to the dresser where a pitcher of water sat. "Thirsty?" Bilbo nodded.

"How's the Kingdom been holding up. Last I saw you were on the brink of war." Everyone winced at the statement.

"But we didn't. Bard gave us your note and that snapped our Uncle out of his idiocy." Kili said, handing a cup of water to Bilbo. Bilbo was glad that the war was stopped, really he was, but he couldn't help but wonder if his silly little note really did anything at all.

"Will you be coming back to the mountains with us?" Kili asked, his nativity made him look so much younger. Bilbo looked at him, how could he say no to such a hope-filled face?

"I don't know, Kili. My parting was not on the best of terms. Thorin- the King, may not want to see me right now," Or ever. Bilbo added silently in his head.

"But Bilbo! Thorin sent us to find you! He wants to see you again!" Kili argued.

"I would like to honor his request to not see me again," Bilbo shot back.

"Fine, you don't have to see Thorin, but at least come back so everyone else can thank you. You can't stay here and you're still weak, so Erebor will just be a stop on your journey home." Kili pleaded.

"Fine, but only because you keep looking at me with that silly face," Kili stuck his tongue out at Bilbo just as Fili walked back in.

"I leave for 10 minutes and you're already bothering Bilbo," Fili joked. "I sent the note to Ori, he should be the first to know anyway."

~~~Thorin~~~

Thorin sat in the throne room, sulking as Dis gave him a long lecture. She, like many others, had heard of Bilbo and what he had done for the Company and the Kingdom though he had no purpose to. She was about to yell at him, again, for daring to hurt a single curl on the Hobbit's head.

"What were you thinking?! You daft King Under the Mountain! You let the only one you'll ever love just walk out of you life without a fight! And what for? A damn stone that's shiny and pretty? That stone caused out Grandfather's death and made our father go insane!" Dis scolded him like a child caught stealing.

"I know that, Dis. I know what the stone has done to this family. I want to say u tried to fight the effects that it had on me, but I find myself lying when I try. I will always want to return here, Erebor is my home, but if I could have done something different, changed my words, showed him how much he meant to me, I would have." Thorin replied trying to rub the stress from his face.

Before anything more could be said, Ori, Bombur, Balin, Gloin, Oin, and Bifur came running into the room. They all started trying to talk at the same time.

"Enough!" Thorin yelled, silencing the six dwarves that invaded his throne room. "Now, what is this all about? One at a time, please," Ori started first.

"We have just received a letter from Fili saying that-"

"Bilbo has-"

"Been found-"

"And that he's-"

"Coming here-"

"To visit!"

Thorin looked at the group. "And you are sure that they have found him?" Ori nodded and handed Thorin the letter.

"Perfect, we shall prepare a celebration for him! He had had enough of us for one lifetime and that alone is worth celebration." Dis stated. She went on and on about the future celebration while Thorin sat down. Bilbo was alive and he was coming to visit the mountain. The mountain which he was banished from, the one that he longed to see in full bloom since the dragon appeared.

When the others left to spread the news of Bilbo's return, Dis turned back to her brother. "I hope that this is the second chance you've been waiting for, you may not have a third."

"I know, I know."

~~~Bilbo~~~

Bilbo waited until Fili and Kili fell asleep to start asking questions. "Has Thorin really changed?"

"Aye, he has, it's been hard for him to adjust without you, but he has tried to prove himself better than before. He knows what the gold sickness has done to him, he can see it every time he thinks of accusing his kin of stealing from him." Dwalin answered. "After you left, he would wander the halls and call your name, his face would change every time we told him that you were gone. After a while we just let him be. We didn't want to see him hurt and he needed to come to terms with what he'd done."

"He doesn't go through the mines or in the room filled with gold anymore," Bofur added. He was smoking a pipe near an opened window, lowering the soft whisks of autumn air in.

"Thought ya weren't gonna go for Thorin. Thought you were coming to see Ori and the others," Nori side glanced him. He was sitting at a table not too far away from Bilbo as he worked on carving a small bear out of a block of wood he'd "found" laying around.

"Nori! That was extremely rude!" Dori reprimanded. "But I have to say though, you are confusing. You may not want to see Thorin, but the mountain is his home and he is the King. If he wants to see you, who's going to stop him?"

"The boys, and Dis," Dwalin replied nodding at the two asleep on the floor. "If Bilbo even flinches at Thorin's approach, the boys'll be on him like bats in a cave."

Everything went quiet and Bilbo took a chance to think about everything that was said. Bofur was the one to break the silence.

"I almost forgot, thank you for your note and the help to open our eyes, Nori and I may have never gotten together I'd you hadn't wrote something," Nori blushed at the statement. He was going to thank Bilbo, he just wanted to do it in more of a private manner.

"Aye," Dwalin agreed, "if it hadn't been for you, Ori and I would have kept circling each other until one of us slipped up. I'm glad that it didn't come to that though. It's much nicer to go home to a warm house and a nice dinner rather than a cold home with no food." Dori gave him a raised brow at the last comment. "I don't go shopping much," Dwalin defended.

"Oh, so the big scary bodyguard doesn't do silly mundane things," Nori taunted. Dwalin was about to say something when Bofur cut him off.

"And a master thief can do better?" Nori looked at Bofur and floundered like a fish. "Didn't think so."

"We best be going to sleep. We have a long trip ahead of us," Dwalin said, removing some of the more uncomfortable prices of armor from his person.

"If we travel swiftly and keep pace with Bilbo, it should only take a few weeks. Two, three the most." Dori responded.

"Three more weeks of sleeping on the ground," came Nori's gruff reply.

"Don't worry, I'll cuddle with ya," Bofur joked, pushing at Nori to move over.

~~~Thorin~~~

Thorin didn't get any sleep the first night. He had been trying to figure out a way to show Bilbo how sorry he was and how much he was missed. He didn't realize that that he had been up the entire night until Dis knocked on his door.

"Thorin, it's time to- well. Never mind then. I see you're already up. You look awful, did you sleep last night?" Thorin shook his head. "What have you been doing? You were thinking of Bilbo again weren't you?"

"I was trying to think of something to give him. I could do so many things. Build a garden, make him food and good ale, have more music and food. Something! Anything! I have to show him how I've changed. I just have to!" Dis touched her brother's arm, trying to comfort him.

"From what I learned about Bilbo, he would like a garden and maybe something small and delicate. A flower crown made, of silver and gold. Something that shows how well you know him." Thorin nodded as she spoke.

"You always were the smart one," Thorin touched his sister's hand, smiling gently.

"You know this means that you have to go into the treasury, yes?" Thorin nodded solemnly. He knew what had to be done, especially to show that he had changed. "I suggest that you do it now then, get it over with before you worry yourself to death. Would you like someone with you?"

"No Dis. You are my sister, not my caretaker, I will not have my kin caring for me as if I am on my deathbed." Thorin kissed her on the cheek before heading to the treasury with purpose. He met Balin on the way, which was a great relief.

"Balin, my old friend, I need you to start sketches on a garden. I want it built before Bilbo and the others arrive. Something simplistic, something Bilbo will love." Balin gave a half sigh half laugh.

"Of course. I'll get Ori and the others to help. I'm sure they'll love the idea," Balin finished, just as Thorin ran off.

He stopped before entering the treasury. He knew what lay behind this door. He knew the darkness that enticed him and his grandfather before him, was waiting for a chance to strike again. Thorin took a deep breath before pushing the doors open. Everyone in the treasury, including Bifur and Bombur, looked up to see Thorin. No one said a word, waiting to see what Thorin was about to do.

Thorin looked around at all the silver and gold and jewels, but couldn't feel anything. He remembered the first time he had entered this room with Bilbo. It had had an overpowering effect on him. Now, thinking of Bilbo, they just looked like rocks to him. Lumps that held no more significance than meat to a vegan.

"Bifur, Bombur, would you like to help me look for something for Bilbo?" Everyone smiled. This, this was the Thorin that they remembered.

"Course!" Bombur replied, following Bifur to the end of the staircase to wait for Thorin.

_Yes, _Thorin though, _I will be waiting for you Bilbo. Come quickly._

_**Lady's and Gentleman, I am back. Sorry for the wait. I have been feeling much better because of all the love you've given me. My family has been handling the loss of my father late last year and my grandmother earlier this year. Thank you for your concern and support.**_


	4. Chapter 4

Bilbo had started getting fidgety as they got closer and closer to Laketown and The Lonely Mountain. He was… scared to say the least. Would Thorin forgive him? Would Thorin want to see him? Should he even try to see Thorin when he arrived? So many things ran through his head that pulled him farther and farther from reality.

"Bilbo," Fili called, coming to a hult, no response. "Bilbo~," Fili called again, turning around this time. Bilbo had a dazed look on his face. "Bilbo!" Bilbo snapped out of his thought. "We're approaching Laketown, would you like to stop and see Bard? He's made a lot of changes since the last time you were there."

"Last time I was there, a dragon destroyed the town," Fili gave a sheepish smile. Bilbo smiled, "I guess so. Bard was the one I gave the note to. He saw me off and he should see me back. It's only fair." Fili nodded and pulled his pony towards the new Laketown.

Bilbo looked on in awe of the newly made town. The houses that had once been dingy and broken-down were now well-kept and bright. The streets, once littered with the poor, were freshly polished. Everything was so different.

"Wait 'til you see it up close," Kili said, seeing the awe on Bilbo's face. "Bard really fixed the place up… Even after the dragon he did a lot. Not just for the town. He's been helping Uncle with running the trade through the mountain. Never would have thought that a bard would actually know a thing or two about trading. You were right. Again."

"About what?"

"Getting to know him. It worked out pretty well."

"Hey bard!" Fili called to a woman on a boat. She looked at them and waved. "Would you take us to Laketown? We need a ride." The woman nodded, angling her boat to the riverbank. "Thanks!"

"Welcome to Laketown. What brings you here? Don't tell me you're heading to the mountain. They're having some kind of party. Seems like they found something or have been lookin' for. Hope it's nothin' dangerous. Last time they found something a dragon came. This time, who knows! Maybe a Unicorn will grow out of some magic egg and give us all gold." The woman rambled. She was nice enough, keeping up conversation and all, but she didn't seem to have a filter to stop. She had cropped brown hair and loose fitting clothes. Her face looked worn, but happy as she kept chatting.

Bilbo had never been as happy to get away from someone as he was when he exited the boat. She was nice, but she could talk forever. "Where does Bard live?"

"Where he was last time. He rebuilt his home where it was. Though, he is the Master of the lake now." Fili took the lead and went straight to Bard's house. Having been there the most since the dragon was killed. They arrived at a very familiar looking house, letting Fili knock.

"Coming!" Was yelled from the inside of the house. Tilda opened the door gasping in surprise as she did. "Da! We have guests!" She called running to her father and leaving the door open for the others.

Bard was just coming around the corner when he saw Bilbo. "Bilbo, is that you? I haven't seen you in forever!" Bard smiled.

"It's been a long time," Bilbo agreed.

Thorin had been working endlessly to complete the crown. He made it look as realistic as possible, putting in flowers in it had been hard, but worth it in the end. It looked like one of the flower crowns that Ori had given Dwalin one time.

"Are you done yet? Ori has something to show you," Dis scolded. "You always were the worst when it came to time management."

"Because I'm too worried to waste my time looking at a clock," Thorin defended, getting up from his bed. Dis raised her brow making her brother roll his eyes. "Okay, I might-"

"Ah, ah, ah, no more than that. Now lets go. We have to hurry." Dis turned, walking out of the room. Thorin rolled his eyes.

"Pushy."

"I HEARD THAT!" Thorin yelped.

When Thorin arrived at Ori's much beloved library, he wasn't expecting books to be scattered around everywhere. "Ori, are you here?"

"Ah, yes!" Ori popped up out of one of the large stacks of books that was placed around the room. "A letter came for you today. It's from Fili this time."

Thorin eyed Ori suspiciously, but said nothing as he went to a wrapped up note with a raven sitting on it. "Why is there a raven here?"

Ori turned back to Thorin, "Oh, him? He wouldn't leave. I tried to shoo him away, but he just squawked at me and flapped his wings. He really doesn't want to leave." Thorin nodded. He… guessed it made sense, right?

Gently, so that the raven didn't turn on him, Thorin took the note and read it. It was Fili checking in. He told of the journey; the fun they were having; how Bilbo was sick, but getting better; and how they had been in Laketown right now and were going to be home soon. Thorin almost had a heart attack, seeing how close they were and having not gotten a letter until now.

"Dis! Dis!" Dis ran in, looking around frantically for her brother. "Fili and Kili are coming home soon, Bilbo will be with them. We must prepare for their return." Dis smiled and ran down the hall, shouting orders to the guards to get the chiefs and to start decorating.

"Dwalin will be coming home," Ori gushed happily. "I need to get this place clean!" Ori shot up and started putting books back in there places.

"Bilbo is coming home."

Bilbo laughed as Bard's oldest daughter finished telling him a story of how one of the boys that lived near her had tried to charm her, but fell into the lake and made a fool of himself. He hadn't been seen since then from sheer embarrassment.

"Come now Sigrid, Bilbo must be tired. He's had a long travel and I'm sure he would like to rest now," Bard shooed his daughter away when he saw Bilbo's eyelids starting to droop. "You should be off to bed too. We have a long day tomorrow. You're supposed to help with the gold distribution."

"But Da!" Sigrid pouted.

"No no, off to bed. I'm sure any story you can tell can wait until tomorrow," Sigrid continued to pout, but went to her room anyway. "come Bilbo, let's find you a place to sleep. I can put you in one of the chairs." Bilbo nodded sleepily. He followed Bard to one of the chairs in the living area. Bard grabbed a few blankets that were laying around and made the wooden made chair more comfortable.

"If you're the Master of the lake," Bilbo started, "why do you still live in such a small home? I like it, don't get me wrong, it's cozy, but why?" Bard didn't respond for a moment. Collecting his thoughts for the unexpected question.

"I stay because I want to. Ever since my wife died, the children need some normality in their lives. If I can give them that, I know I've done well. I don't need something big and extravagant like the old lake master. I should live like the people of this town, not like a king while his subjects live in poverty." Bard finally said.

"You would make a very good king, do you know that?" Bilbo said as he snuggled into the blankets Bard had given him. "Where will the others sleep?"

"Thank you for the complement," Bard chuckled, "I have come to know that dwarves will sleep wherever they fall. Sleep Bilbo, you have another journey ahead of you in the morning. Fixing a broken heart is no easy feet."

Bilbo woke the next morning to soft singing. When he sat up, he saw Fili smoking a pipe in the morning sun. "What are you doing awake? Shouldn't you be sleeping? It'll take a few hours for us to get there."

"Ah I already slept," Fili waved the question off. "I'm more excited than anything else. I get to go home. I get to see my mother. I get to do a lot of things. I'm more worried for your sake. You don't get to go home, you have to wait to heal before leaving, you have to see the man you confessed to before leaving." Bilbo flushed a deep red.

"I had forgotten about that. Oh my, this'll not end well for me," Bilbo covered his face in his hands. "This'll be so embarrassing. Hobbit's don't do this. They don't tell people they love them and run away. I must be turning into a dwarf!"

"Hey," Fili protested, "Dwarfs aren't that bad!" Bilbo gave him a look, "Okay not all of us are that bad."

Bilbo's look never wavered.

Thorin had become increasingly jumpy as he waited for Bilbo to arrive. He already had a healer to look him over once he got here, hoping that Bofur and Oin wouldn't be too angry with his double checking.

"Thorin! I see them coming up the way!" Ori cried happily. Thorin nearly jumped off the throne in excitement, he wasn't wearing his usual kingly robes, he had changed into the outfit he had been wearing throughout the journey to Erebor.

Thorin had barely made it to the mountain entrance when the party came bursting in. Ori had singled out Dwalin in a heartbeat, running towards him and falling into his arms as they made a happy reunion. Bofur and Nori were the next to reunite with Bombur and his family, Nori being cautious when Gimli jumped into his arms, he didn't want to hurt the kid. Oin and Bifur were the last to enter, they come in with a slow moving Bilbo. He still looked weak, but he had a bright smile on so as not to be deterred. Dis was on the poor Hobbit in an instant. Locking her arm with his and walking off to the health ward. Fili and Kili were running after her, trying to make sure that she was being easy with him. Thorin took his chance then to get to Oin and Bifur.

"How has Bilbo been?"

"A-A-And who a-are y-you?" Bilbo asked as he was shakily dragged along. The dwarf that had grabbed him seemed to know his way around the mountain, though Bilbo had no idea where he was going.

"I'm Dis, Thorin's sister and Fili and Kili's mother," she smiled down at him. "Ah, here we are," Dis pulled Bilbo into a small room where another dwarf was waiting. "Brollie, this is the Hobbit, will you check on him? He's had a long journey."

"Mother!"

"Mom!"

Fili and Kili ran into the room quickly after Bilbo and Dis entered. Brollie had been checking Bilbo's bones and lungs, making sure everything was working right.

"You can't just run away with Bilbo like that!"

"He's still weak!"

"That's why I brought him here. I know you had Oin and Bifur, but they didn't have everything they needed to make sure Bilbo was okay. This is just a… making sure he's okay, check up." Dis said.

"How do you know who I am?" Bilbo asked politely.

"Everyone knows who you are. You're the one who helped get our home back! I remember this place from when I was a little girl, nothing is more precious then the memories I have here." Then she looked to her children. "Okay, they might be a little more precious than the things I had here."

Brollie chose that moment to speak up. " You should be fine. A few days rest, water, the works. Nothing too big or exhausting. If you feel over worked sit down and take a breather."

"Is he okay for a show of the mountain?" Dis asked.

"He should be fine, but take it slow."

Bilbo smiled, "Let's go for a walk."

**_Should I put mpreg, (and who should I do it to) and filixkili?_**


	5. Chapter 5

Dis loved watching the look of awe pass Bilbo's face as she lead him through countless monuments and historical artifacts. She had never seen a creature that loved to learn as much as this one. Maybe that was why Thorin took such a liking to the small creature.

"Mother, please, Bilbo must be tired," Kili ran up to his mother, trying to get her to stop walking so fast. "The physician said to take it easy, I don't think this is easy." Kili tried to reason.

"Nonsense Kili, I'm fine," Bilbo waved the Dwarf away. "If I wasn't feeling like myself, I would say something, I promised, didn't I?" Bilbo stopped and turned to Kili, who seemed a little out of breath. "Really Kili, I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

As Bilbo and Dis walked away, Kili signed, "I always worry." He whispered before running after the two, having lost sight of them.

While on the other end of the mountain Thorin was pacing while his oldest nephew tried to console him. Which he wouldn't even hear the younger man out.

"Uncle, please, Bilbo will be staying here for a couple day, a week at most. If you want his forgiveness, ask him. He's not fragile; he walked all the way to Mordor by himself!" Fili tried to reason.

Thorin stopped his pacing and looked Fili dead in the eye, "I dangled him over a cliff in front of all the people that he trusted, and not one of them went to his aid. I threatened his life, his very well being. I took him from his home and brought him here with no one to protect him. If Gandalf hadn't been there, can you honestly tell me I wouldn't have dropped him?" Fili didn't reply, not being sure of the answer himself. "That's what I thought."

"But can you say that you would have dropped him?" Fili argued back. "You have no idea what you would have done in that situation."

"I can't trust myself, Fili. The last time I trusted myself, I almost killed the one person I love the most," Thorin whispered, having nothing else to say.

"Bull." Thorin and Fili looked to see Bifur and Bombur standing at the side of the throne. Bombur was the one who had spoken. "Thorin, if I may speak so freely, and I will regardless, you walked into the treasury without any prompting. You looked at the gold and jews that once possessed your mind and was able to not be tempted by it. Not too many dwarves say they fought their gold sickness and won."

Thorin sighed as he took in the words of his…. friends. And they were his friends, he found as he thought about it. These people were the closest friends he's ever had. Besides Bilbo, of course. If he didn't have these people, where would he be now? Probably dead. And if he couldn't trust these people, who could he trust?

Thorin sighed as he made up his mind. "Fine, I'll talk to Bilbo. A real talk, before he leaves." The others whooped and cheered, like they had just won the best prize in the world. Which they kind of had. "But for now," Thorin started again, "we will eat and then Bilbo will be put back to bed." The others gave him a pouty look before running off to their respected jobs.

Bilbo finally asked Dis to stop when they neared the treasury. It wasn't that he didn't want to see the treasury, it was just that he was getting tired now. And, okay, maybe he didn't want to see the treasury. Too many bad memories.

"You know," Dis said, sitting down next to him, "Thorin really is a good person." Bilbo tilted his head as Dis continued. "He might not always act like the best person… or be as nice or friendly as the next guy… but he had a good heart. I should know, I live with him." Bilbo snorted out a laugh which made Dis smile.

Bilbo gave Dis a small smile as she looked at him, waiting for him to say something. "I know that he's good, deep down in his heart he is. And I know he's made some bad choices, but sometimes I'm not sure if I can trust him. Anymore, that is. He's… changed since I last saw him. Given that last time I saw him I was dangling over a cliff with his hand on my collar, but he has changed. He hasn't dangled me over a cliff as of yet," Dis gave a short laugh.

"What would you think if Thorin asked you to say?" Dis asked, making Bilbo look at her in surprise. "If he asked you to stay, would you stay?" She clarified.

"Yes," Bilbo answered without hesitation. Dis nodded and looked around. It was almost time for dinner and she wondered if she would still have time to show him around a little more. "You don't seem surprised that I would agree to stay," Bilbo decided to comment.

"Oh, that's because I'm not," Dis shrugged. "When I first came here, I was expecting to see you standing next to my brother wearing fine silks and gold." Bilbo gave her a disbelieving look.

"You didn't even know me back then!" Bilbo argued.

"Aye, I didn't, but I heard about you. Everyone has. Why do you think no one has asked your name?" Bilbo seemed truly taken aback by this statement. He hadn't even noticed, being so used to everyone just knowing him. Dis rolled her eyes and stood with a huff, "I can't tell which of you is more dense, my brother or you."

Bilbo chuckled and looked around, "Where's Kili? Wasn't he behind us?" Dis gave a sneeky grin as Bilbo brought up her youngest son.

"I think I lost him somewhere around the newly refurbished kitchen. I'm not sure really," a loud crash interrupted their talking as Kili appeared from around the corner with a very old looking vase following him down the hall.

"AND STAY OUT!" Was called with another loud bang. Bilbo and Dis looked at each other as Kili started yelling in angry dwarvish. A door was opened and Kili ducked as a hot pot flew at him. Kili huffed and turned to see his mother and Bilbo watching him.

"I, um, I can explain," Kili said making gestures to where all the commotion had come from. "The cooks and I were just having a small disagreement. Um, as you can see we didn't see eye to eye about his cooking. He was… rather admit that I was in the wrong about everything. And he threw a hot pot at me." Kili rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to explain.

Dis rolled her eyes as Ori came down from a different hall. He looked at the broken vase and the large silver pot scattered on the ground. "Should I even ask?" Ori wondered as Kili opened his mouth to speak, but Ori stopped him, "No time for explanations now, it is time to eat," Ori turned away, but stopped and turned to look at Kili, "You might want to apologize, never piss off the cook who's feeding you." Kili gaped at the smaller dwarf before shouting something in dwarvish that sounded more like a plea for pity.

Ori didn't look back.

Thorin watched as everyone took their usual seats, leaving an open seat on Thorin's left. All twelve of his party members were with him at this such dinner. Though they usually tried to eat all together, a day's work usually didn't allow that though. Seeing as everyone had their own specialized jobs suited to their talents.

But today was special. Bilbo was back. Their Burglar. Their Hobbit. And he was going to eat with them. Bombur had prepared an extra large meal, remembering Bilbo's love of food. Gloin's son, Gimli, was watching Bilbo, having never seen a Hobbit before this point. He seemed truly bewildered by the small hairless creature. It amused Thorin to no end, seeing as he had reacted in the same way.

"Bilbo! Gloin called when he noticed the Hobbit, "Come here and meet my son," Gloin pushed his son over to where Bilbo was stood with Dis and Kili. "Gimli, this is the one who helped us reclaim the mountain," Gloin said, "Bilbo, this is my son."

Gimli hesitated to shake Bilbo's hand when Bilbo reached out for him. "Don't worry," Bilbo said, not releasing Gimli's hand, "I won't try to take your beard," Gimli gave him a wide eyed look and quickly retracted his hand. Gloin laughed at his son's shocked expression and clipped Bilbo on the shoulder.

"Oh Bilbo, how I've missed you," Gloin laughed again. Thorin couldn't agree more at that statement. He missed Bilbo more than he missed the home he had lost not so long ago. And maybe if he had thought more about it before now, he could have had Bilbo next to him now.

"Uncle, isn't it time to eat now?" Fili asked, motioning to the empty seat to where Bilbo would sit. Thorin took the hint and called out to the others.

"Come now, my friends, it is time to eat. Now that Bilbo is… here," Thorin had to stop himself from saying "home" and continued talking, "we all have time to talk to him, but for now, we let him rest. Let us sit and celebrate Bilbo's return." Everyone gave a soft cheer as they sat down, leaving the only space open for Bilbo next to Thorin.

"Come here Bilbo," Dis called, patting the seat next to Thorin, "come sit next to me," Bilbo glanced to Thorin before sighing and walking towards the two. "There we go," Dis smiled as Bilbo sat next to her. It was more than halfway through dinner and when Dis kicked Thorin's leg from under the table. He looked confusedly at Dis while she tried to motion to Bilbo. He finally took the hint and turned to address the Hobbit.

"So Bilbo," Thorin spoke softly, not wanting to startle the smaller man. Bilbo took a second to look at him, looking startled that Thorin was the one to talk to him. "How are you… liking the mountain so far?" Dis looked about ready to jump over the table and kill him at that moment.

"It is," Bilbo took a moment to find the right word, "nice. I didn't have time to see all the monuments last time so I'm excited to see them this time," Thorin was just able to hide his wince when Bilbo talked about before. He had never meant to harm the Hobbit.

"Well, I am glad that you could experience something from my past," Thorin heard Bilbo make a soft sigh and mutter something about Smaug. Thorin tried to think of something to say, anything. Before, he could talk to Bilbo freely and without hesitation. Now, he did not want to upset the smaller man. Dis was glaring at Thorin, looking back and forth between him and Bilbo. She had taken quickly to the Hobbit and did not seem to want to give him up.

Well, neither did Thorin.

"Bilbo," Thorin waited until Bilbo looked at him, "I would like to talk to you. Privately." Bilbo looked down before nodding and pushing away from the table.

"If you don't mind, could you meet me in my room? I am feeling very tired and would like to rest for a while," Thorin didn't say anything, only nodded and watched Bilbo walk away from him once again. Only this time, he was sane and, hopefully, knew what he was doing. Dis, Fili, and Kili turned to glare at Thorin after Bilbo had left.

Thorin held his hands up as they glared. "I know what I'm doing. Trust me," they sighed and turned away. "I hope I do anyway." Thorin gave one last longing look in the direction where Bilbo left and went back to his meal.


End file.
